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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rash · ball · racket · root · straw · pitch · mark · wave

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. ball — a dance
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. mark — a trace
  11. root — of a word
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pitch — completely
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. rash — hasty
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. pitch — a sales talk

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com